A Blessing or a Curse?
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Prue finds a cure for her loneliness, but is it too late?


Title: "A Blessing or a Curse?"  
Author: Pirate Turner  
Dedicated To: Pirate Sparrow  
Rating: R  
Summary: Prue finds a cure for her loneliness, but is it too late?  
Disclaimer: Prue, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell; Leo Wyatt; Kit; P3; the Charmed Ones, and Charmed are all © & TM Spelling Television Inc.. The image used in this story is © & TM its respective owner and is used without permission. Brendan Richards and everything else are © & TM Pirate Turner.

Green eyes stared down at the dark liquid in her mug as she twirled the spoon inside the coffee, leading it around in circles that sent ripples through the drink's calm surface. Her chin rested on the back of her hand as she stared down into its depth which seemed far deeper than the mug could ever possibly hold. She had had the unpleasant experience to awaken that morning only to find that Piper was, for an extreme rarity, not already awake and cooking. Since then, Prue had managed to eat a couple of pieces of burned toast and had narrowly avoided burning the coffee, and still neither of her sisters had came downstairs.

She did not need to have her youngest sister's power to know what both Piper and Phoebe were doing with their men upstairs, a thought that only served to increase her loneliness. She knew she should be happy for her beloved sisters, but although she was glad they had at last found love, she couldn't help wishing that she was in at least one of their positions. She had been unable to find a suitable love interest ever since Andy, and even he could have never been right for her -- not after the way he had reacted to her birthright as a Charmed One.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as a new thought depressed her even more: She'd probably die without ever having known her soul mate. Was there even one still out there for her? After all the men she'd been through already in her life, it seemed extremely doubtful. It was at that exact moment that loud popping sounds suddenly began outside, each one seeming to grow in frequency and volume. Even as she rose from her seat, Prue muttered darkly under her breath, "Just what I didn't need for breakfast -- coffee and a Demon."

She raced outside only to find a car struggling to make it slowly down the road. Steam spilled out of the engine at every possible hole. Each Pop! shook the hood until, with a gigantic POP! that echoed through the sleepy street, the car finally came to a halt. At the same time as the car completely stopped, its hood broke loose, jumped into the air, and then crashed back down. Prue's eyebrows rose slightly at the sight as she continued to watch curiously, wondering if she should offer her help. She didn't know the first thing about cars, but maybe Leo could do something . . .

Prue's thoughts broke off and her eyes widened as a tall, sleekly muscular man jumped out of the car and raced around to examine its front. Prue's throat went dry as she watched him run. He lifted the hood from the car, gave it an accusing look, and then tossed it to the nearby sidewalk. Under Prue's watchful gaze, he leaned over the front of the car; his shaggy brown hair fell to one side of his face as he began examining the car.

Even as he examined the engine and the part of the car that the hood had broken off from, Prue examined his finely-toned rear end. "Mmm." Her tongue ran over her lips before slipping back into her mouth. This might just prove to be her lucky day, after all.

* * *

"Need some help?"

Although he had felt eyes on him, he had not sensed her approach and had dismissed the eyes as belonging only to passer-bys and the neighborhood's residents eyeing his pathetic car. At her voice, however, he leapt up and whirled around only to find himself so close to the most beautiful creature he had ever before seen that their bodies were only a couple of inches apart.

When he first looked at her, chills raced through her being. His chocolate brown eyes were delicious, but was that a glimmer of wild she saw in them? "I'm sorry," she said with a smile. "I didn't mean to scare you. I live across the street, saw your car, and thought you might could use some help."

Her beautiful smile sent his brain spinning as he tried desperately to catch on to something sensible to say. "O-Of course yo-you did," he stammered, an embarrassed, bashful smile playing over his handsome face. "That's very nice of you, Miss -- ?"

"Prue Halliwell."

"Prue," he repeated with the most charming smile she had ever borne witness to. "That's a lovely name."

She laughed, and he found it to be a truly musical sound. "I hate it," she found herself admitting, much to her surprise. "It's short for Prudence. Do you have any idea how easy it is for a name like that to invoke teasing?" He started to say something, but she interrupted him before he could even get so much as one syllable out. "I'm sorry. Here I am blabbering out when we have to figure out what to do about your car and you're probably already running late."

She shook her head, and his fingers itched to reach out and grasp a strand of her raven hair until her last words sank in. He glanced hurriedly at his watch and then, before he could stop himself, exclaimed out loud, "Oh my Gods! I'm already late!"

His mouth was still open, ready to exclaim some more, when she again interrupted him. Her lovely eyes studied his handsome face as she asked, with a single eyebrow quirked in question, "Gods?"

"Di-Did I say that?" he nearly squeaked out.

She stifled a laugh as she smiled reassuringly at him. "It's okay. I'm Wiccan."

Despite the panic that had been beginning to rise in him, he could not help but to burst out into a huge smile. However, as he again recalled that he was already late for surgery, his smile vanished. "I'm really sorry to be a bother, Miss Halliwell, but I've got to get to the hospital. I've got a very important surgery scheduled for one of the first things this morning, and I can _not_ be late. Not today. It's a matter of life or death."

Her heart fell. It figured. It was just her luck to find a man nearly in her very front yard that was so breath-takingly gorgeous but that was already dying. Prue shook her head, forcing her thoughts to clear and fighting the depression that threatened to return. "Which hospital?" she asked. As soon as he gave her its name, she informed him, "That's on my way to work. I can drop you off, and I can leave a note for my brother-in-law to see about your car if there's time?"

He scratched slightly at his right forelock as he answered, "There's always time." He then stopped scratching and smiled his immense gratitude. "Thank you ever so much, Miss Halliwell."

* * *

"You have a lovely home," Brendan remarked, his deep brown eyes sweeping the foyer of the Manor as Prue led the way inside. He brought the door to a silent shut behind him, but even as he did so, something hissed. Both Brendan's and Prue's heads whirled around only to find a Siamese cat standing in a corner of the room.

Kit's eyes were already narrow slits, and his fur fluffed out even more when the man looked at him. Prue cast a worried look at Brendan. Surely, he couldn't be a Demon?

Brendan smiled at the cat as he looked at the Siamese. Prue missed the change in his eyes as they flashed yellow for a split second before returning to normal. "Quite a protective little one you have there," he remarked, still smiling but now turning his charming smile towards Prue.

His charming smile instantly swept all thoughts that he might be something evil from Prue's mind. Look at you, girl, she chided herself silently. The man's dying, but you still can't keep yourself from falling over your tongue! Has it been _that_ long since you've had a man! How _pathetic_ can you _be_! On the surface, however, Prue returned Brendan's smile as she replied, "Yes, he is. His name's Kit. Now let me just leave Leo a note, and . . . " She broke off suddenly as she realized that he was eyeing her. She swallowed hard even as she wondered why he was staring at her so.

Worry churned in Brendan's gut. Something was wrong with this picture. He cocked his head as his intent eyes studied her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"I . . . I'm fine," Prue said hurriedly. Then, her heart skipped a beat in dread. Why had he thought something was wrong with her? Could it be that he wasn't feeling well? Of course he's not feeling well! Damn it, girl! He's _dying_! Can't you get that through your thick skull! "Are _you_ okay?" she asked in concern.

His forehead creased slightly. Why was she so clearly concerned over him? "I'm frustrated," he admitted, jerking his head back toward the closed door in indication of what lay outside (his car), "but fine."

Brave, she thought. It must have been a slip of the tongue earlier. She would not call him on it. "Just let me write that note, and then we'll be on our way." She hurriedly set about finding a piece of paper and a pen.

* * *

"I've got to get something from my car." She had barely registered his words before she turned only to find him already at his car. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. For a dying man, he certainly moves swiftly!

Brendan grabbed a satchel from his car and returned to Prue just as she was about to get into her vehicle. "Let me get that for you," he said even as he opened the door for her.

She looked at him in surprise but smiled in gratitude. When was the last time she had actually had a man open the door for her? She couldn't even remember. "Thank you, kind sir," she said with a brilliant smile.

His knees felt instantly weak, but he managed to force them to behave as he answered her with a smile, "It's the least I can do for such a beautiful and generous lady." He shut the door securely behind her, bolted around the car, and then got in.

* * *

Every time she looked at him, her breath caught in her throat. It was so tragically sad. He was so incredibly handsome, and yet he was dying. She wondered if he had a family or if he would die without ever having known the love of a real woman, but she didn't dare ask. She couldn't afford to get close to him; any endeavor to do so would bring the same result -- yet another broken heart for her to bear. She didn't think she could live with another one, not after everything she'd already been through.

She kept glancing at him, but she hadn't said a single word since they'd started on the way to the hospital. Had he done something wrong? What could he have possibly done, though? She claimed she didn't mind giving him the lift, and he couldn't imagine such a beautiful and sweet woman ever lying. "Penny for your thoughts?" he finally spoke softly.

"Trust me," she said with a smile, "that would be one penny you'd want back."

"I understand." She didn't want to tell him. She didn't trust him, and who could blame her? After all, they had only just met. He scratched briefly at his left forelock before finally speaking again, "So, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a freelance photographer."

"What do you take pictures of?"

She shrugged as she guided her car into a turn. "Pretty much just whatever I'm paid for. I do take some shots of my family, though, of course."

"Do you have a large family?" he asked curiously.

"We're growing," she said with a smile. "I have two younger sisters; the oldest of which just got married a couple of months ago."

"Ah," he said with a smile. "Are you close?"

"Very." She paused, but when she saw, out of the corner of her right eye, that he was about to open his mouth again, she beat him to the punch. "You keep asking all these questions about me, but I don't even know your name."

He chuckled, and his deep brown eyes sparkled. She saw the sparkle and sighed inwardly. Her lips pressed together as she thought of how full of life he seemed to be only to remind herself yet again that he was dying. Even as she was thinking, he was speaking, "I must apologize, Miss Halliwell. I suppose that between my car and your wondrous beauty, that my mind was simply too much of a mess for me to realize that I've been so rude. You may call me Brendan."

"Just Brendan? What are you -- one of those guys who's so legendary that he only needs one name, like Fabio, Sting . . . ?"

He chuckled again, and her heart warmed a little. At least, she could bring some joy to him during this ride even if she could not allow herself to get close to him. "I'm nothing of the sort," he said, shaking his head as he continued to chuckle deeply. "My name's Brendan Richards."

"So what do _you_ do with your life, Brendan?"

"I help innocents," he said simply. "At least, as much as I can."

It was at that exact moment that they pulled up in front of the hospital. His eyes sent a quick glance at the clock on her radio. He sighed aloud even as turned to look at him. "Just enough time for me to be able to do two things," he commented as he unbuckled his seat belt.

"What two things?" Prue inquired, her curiosity raised.

"To thank you again for all your wonderful generosity, and . . . " He paused as he turned back to look at her, and their eyes locked. The look in her lovely eyes coupled with the way her long, raven hair fell around her beautiful face made such a dangerous combination that his sword seemed almost to moan against the fabric of his pants. "When can I see you again?" he asked both softly and hopefully, his eyes searching hers for some sign of hope.

Prue had been drowning in his gorgeous, deep, chocolate brown eyes until he asked her that one question. She hurriedly straightened and looked away, reminding herself yet again that he was dying and that she would have to be a glutton for pain to take him up on his offer. "I'm really sorry, Brendan, but I'm completely booked up this month."

So even the most beautiful creature on the Gods' green Earth could lie, Brendan realized even as he felt a sharp pain in his heart. "I understand," he said meekly, "and I'm sorry if I was out of bounds." He slipped a finger into his shirt pocket and removed a card. He held it out to her as he spoke again, "You can have your brother-in-law call this number to reach me when he's done with my car, and I'll pay him." Some how.

She turned back to him and took the card from him. An electric tingle shot through both their beings as their hands brushed against each other. She looked up at him and instantly regretted it at the regret she saw in his eyes even as he released the card into her hand and turned to leave. "Thanks again, Miss Halliwell," he said before bounding from the car.

His name was on the tip of her tongue even as the passenger door shut. Her empty hand went for the buckle of her seat belt, but she stopped herself. She couldn't go after him. She couldn't let herself be hurt again.

* * *

Prue's heart remained heavy all throughout the day. Brendan's image was never far from her mind. Each time she saw a smile, she remembered his, and every time some one called her name, she whirled around, hoping against hope that it might be him though it never was. She could never force the pain she had witnessed in his eyes when she had let him down completely out of her mind, not even for one full second.

By the time the late afternoon finally crawled around, Prue walked into P3 while Piper was still preparing to open the doors for the night. "Prue?" Piper asked, eyeing her older sister in deep concern.

"Beer," Prue returned simply as she sunk on to a nearby stool.

Piper's brown eyes widened in shock. "**_Beer_**! Prue, the sun hasn't even _set_ yet, and you're already wanting alcohol! What happened? What's wrong, baby?"

Prue fixed her younger sister with a stern look. "Beer first; then I'll talk."

"Fine," Piper muttered, shaking her head in disapproval. She fetched a cold beer and then handed it regretfully to her sister.

Prue unscrewed the cap and took a long swig. She wasn't fond of the taste, but she knew how good it was to help her forget things she'd rather not remember. "Piper," she said slowly, looking up at her sister, "have you ever met a man who at first you thought a blessing but then ended up in a situation that was so terrible that it had to be a curse?"

Piper gave her sister a questioning look. "You met a man who, yet again, turned out to be a Warlock?"

"No," Prue said, shaking her head as she took another sip. "He's a wonderful man and a sweet gentleman."

"But he's ugly?"

"Gods, no! He's to _die_ for! But . . ."

"Buuut?" Piper prompted, slowly dragging out the word.

"He's dying."

Piper fell silent for a moment, unsure as to what to say. She knew all too well what it was like to fall for a guy who Death had already claimed, but she had no wise words of advice for her sister.

Piper started to open her mouth just as a blue light shone brilliantly. Leo looked from his beloved wife to Prue and knew instantly that something terrible had happened. "What is it?" he asked, deep concern written both in his eyes and voice and on his face.

"Nothing," Prue hurriedly said as she turned away from the couple, beer bottle in hand.

Leo turned to look questioningly at Piper, but she shook her head. "Leo, love, maybe you should go work on that car?"

Leo shook his head. "I've already examined it. It's dead. There's nothing I can do for it."

"Then here," Prue spoke, tossing a small white card back at the couple without turning back to look at either. "You can tell him."

Leo picked up the card, and Piper glanced at it. Her head pulled back a tiny bit and cocked slightly to one side; then she looked at it again. "Prue, sweetie, that man we were just talking about . . . I thought it was Brendan?"

"It was." Prue took another swallow.

"Did you happen to look at his card?" Piper asked.

"No," Prue admitted. "Why?"

"He's a doctor."

"What!" Prue nearly screamed as she spun back around and grabbed the card right out of Leo's grasp. "I don't believe it. The surgery must have been for a patient. He was going to the hospital, and he did say that the surgery was _one_ of the first things he had to do this morning. Plus, he spends his life helping innocents. Gods! How much of an _idiot_ can I be!"

"Leo?" Piper whispered even as she saw Prue reach for her cell phone. Smiling, Leo embraced his wife and orbed them both away to give Prue privacy even as Prue requested to speak with Dr. Richards.

* * *

It only took a couple of minutes for Brendan to pick up as he was in between patients at the moment. "Dr. Richards," he started to answer only to be cut off.

"Brendan, it's Prue. Please don't hang. Just listen. I was such an idiot today. I really like you. I never wanted to hurt you, but I thought you were dying and couldn't go through that again," Prue began to babble.

"Whoa! Slow down, Prue! What made you think I was dying?" Brendan asked, his forehead creased in confusion but a grin slowly starting to form on his handsome face.

"You said you had a surgery for one of the first things this morning and that it was a matter of life or death. I misunderstood you. I never realized you were a doctor. Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"Oh, Prue," he breathed. "I'm sorry I worried you so much. I'm as healthy as can be. I just didn't tell you I was a doctor, because I didn't want you to like me because of what I do -- not that there's any reason that you should have liked me. It's just . . . Prue, you're the only woman I've ever asked out before, but I've had many other women come on to me -- just because I'm a doctor!"

By this time, both were grinning. Prue knew far better than to think that the women in Brendan's past had came on to him only because of his career, but she couldn't help wondering if he actually believed that. He had never seemed like the type to lie earlier, but then who could ever tell with men?

"Prue . . ."

"Yes, Brendan?"

"Are you busy tonight?"

"I hope so."

"Oh." He was crushed, and that fact came through clearly in his simple response.

"I hope I'm busy with you," she quickly added, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"If you want to be," Brendan said, his smile growing until it was so big that it stretched from ear to ear and lit up the entire room though he was the only occupant, "then you are. Pick you up at 7?"

"Don't be late," she teased gently, her brilliant smile bringing as much light to P3 as Leo's orb had only a few minutes ago.

"I promise I won't be."

* * *

Prue hung up from Brendan with an elated sigh. She turned around, expecting to find Leo and Piper, but they were nowhere in sight. "Leo, you can come back now!" she called.

Within seconds, Leo and Piper returned, and both knew that everything was right again from Prue's brilliant smile. "I take it everything went good?" Piper asked.

"It went great," Prue answered, her eyes still sparkling. She handed Piper the beer back.

"What's this for?"

"What do I need beer for when I've got a date tonight?" Prue asked.

Both Leo and Piper broke out smiling, and as Prue turned and headed out to go home and get ready for her date, Leo slipped his arm back around his wife and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

"You have, but I never get tired of hearing that," she admitted as she leaned up and captured her husband's lips with her own.

**The End**


End file.
